By the age of three, it is estimated that 95% of a child’s brain capacity has developed. This means that early education is essential for taking advantage of this time frame in a manner that can benefit children for their entire lives. However, some people still underestimate the importance of education and the benefits it can provide. To help put it into perspective, here are three things that you need to know.
The Most Formative Years
As noted above, brain capacity develops young, and these years are critical when it comes to developing cognitive, emotional, and social capabilities. The capacity for the brain to adapt and grow from outside stimuli is diminished as it matures and learns to perform more complex functions. Taking advantage of this initial development by enrolling children in a preschool is something that shouldn’t be overlooked, as it can serve as a foundation for success both in school and eventually in the workplace.
Closing the Achievement Gap
Because the brain grows so much during these early years, vocabulary inequality can begin to develop in children as young as 18 months, with the differences growing more steeply from then on.
As an example, in a study conducted by Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, it was found that by the age of three, children with caregivers who were college-educated had vocabularies that were two to three times more developed and extensive than those cared for by individuals who hadn’t completed high school.
While this is no fault to the caregivers, it does show that taking advantage of early childhood education, as opposed to waiting until they are older, can help bridge this inequality gap, regardless of the educational level of a child’s caregivers.
Improving Long-Term Health
According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, when children face adversity in their formative years, it has been shown that they could face long-term health ramifications. This can include increased risks of developing diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, and heart disease.
While early education can help provide a solid groundwork for overcoming adversity, it can also fall on parents to help promote a healthy home in addition to ensuring that they receive the early education that they need.
Early education isn’t something to overlook, and it can be one of the most important milestones for developing children. If your child isn’t currently enrolled in preschool, consider enrolling them this semester so that they can get the headstart that they need to be as successful as possible, both in school and in life.
